Previous
Oxymorons
Definition of Personification
Personification is a type of figurative language in which non-human things are described as having human attributes, as in the sentence, "The rain poured down on the wedding guests, indifferent... read full definition
Personification is a type of figurative language in which non-human things are described as having human attributes, as in the sentence, "The rain poured down... read full definition
Personification is a type of figurative language in which non-human things are described as having human attributes, as in the... read full definition
Prologue
Explanation and Analysis—Charles and the Army:
Over the course of the prologue, Charles actively personifies the Army, speaking of his relations with the institution as one might speak about a quarrelsome spouse. Note the following example of this extended personification:
I knew it all, the whole drab compass of marital disillusion; we had been through it together, the Army and I, from the first importunate courtship until now, when nothing remained to us except the chill bonds of law and duty and custom. I had played every scene in the domestic tragedy, had found the early tiffs become more frequent, the tears less affecting, the reconciliations less sweet, till they engendered a mood of aloofness and cool criticism [...].
Charles speaks of his relationship with the army as a distant, emotionally bereft relationship with a spouse. He no longer romanticizes militarism or sees any inherent value in army work. This comparison is especially prurient considering Charles's plethora of failed romantic relationships, revealed later in the novel. Charles is at first enchanted with both Sebastian and Julia, viewing them as gateways to a vibrant world full of promise. Similarly, he idealizes military service, believing it to be that same honor written about in tales, filled with knights and chivalric honor. Both the Army and Charles's relationships let him down; over-familiarity breeds disenchantment and, at times, even resentment.
Related Themes:
